'Mujuru purge was a mistake'

HARARE - Zanu PF's deadly infighting is getting more intractable by the day, with miffed war veterans becoming increasingly critical of President Robert Mugabe, and now also bemoaning the brutal 2014 purge from the ruling party of former Vice President Joice Mujuru on what they say were "contrived" charges.

Speaking to the Daily News yesterday, prominent war veteran and one of embattled Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa’s most loyal supporters, Victor Matemadanda, said bluntly and unexpectedly that Mujuru's ruthless purge from Zanu PF had been "a grave mistake".

He said "that error" had allegedly opened the door for "opportunists, cultists and rumour-mongers " to lie and manipulate their way in the warring former liberation movement — to the extent that today the party and its leaders "do not know where they are coming from or going".

“All of us in Zanu PF then reacted to what those people were saying about Mujuru. There were a lot of allegations against Mujuru and because it was coming from high offices, we believed the allegations. But we now see these people for who they truly are," Matemadanda said.

He added that it was not just Mujuru who had been "hard done" by the party when she was hounded out of Zanu PF on untested allegations of plotting to oust and kill Mugabe, but also all her supporters as well who had similarly been chased out of the party.

“This is why every person who worked with Mujuru is now being approached and asked to return. They (opportunists) have not proved the allegations, yet they want the people back in the party, and it makes us wonder.

"These (opportunists) are the same people who suspended (former senior Cabinet minister and politburo heavyweight) Nicholas Goche, but all of a sudden now want to work with him.

“They must apologise to the nation for soiling all these people's names. And because of all this, one can conclude that all is not well in the party,” the aggrieved Matemadanda said, adding that it was clear that Mugabe and his wife Grace were being misled by these opportunists.

“It is now up to the First Family to disassociate themselves from these malicious behaviours. Zimbabwe is being run based on rumour mongers,” he thundered.

Matemadanda said the fact that former war veterans leader Jabulani Sibanda had been approached to become minister responsible for the former freedom fighters welfare, before he had been exonerated on the untested charges that his Zanu PF enemies had brought against him, showed that their allegations were baseless in the first place.

“They may think that they have fired us (from Zanu PF, and as leaders of war veterans), but they don’t have the capacity. No one holds the title deeds of the party. We didn’t go to war to follow anyone. We went to war to free Zimbabwe, we won the freedom and now must enjoy the fruits,” he said.

Matemadanda said people such as former War Veterans minister Christopher Mutsvangwa and others who had been expelled from Zanu PF "are still part of the party, no matter how much other people will want to wish them away”.

“What is important is not to be in the politburo, but to be in the revolution. People who freed this country had no positions. We are above factions as war veterans. We didn’t fight for a particular individual and we don’t want to build dictators or cultists.

"We know one day President Mugabe is going to go and we don’t want a cult leader to take over. We want a simple thinking comrade to takeover. This business of making other people cults is what makes other people think that this country belongs to them,” he charged.

Matemadanda spoke as Mnangagwa’s allies are ramping up their assault on Mugabe’s authority, savaging the Zanu PF politburo’s decisions of the past few months, as well as the nonagenarian’s key lieutenants such as national political commissar Saviour Kasukuwere.

Speaking at a meeting of war veterans aligned to Mnangagwa in Bulawayo at the weekend, the gathered Team Lacoste members not only chanted “Down with G40 (Zanu PF Young Turks opposed to Mnangagwa succeeding Mugabe)”, they also came just short of openly denouncing Mugabe.

Matemadanda roundly slated the Zanu PF politburo at the meeting — saying the party's top decision-making structure outside congress had become a “disciplinary politburo”, while Zanu PF itself was now a “party for firing not hiring”.

He also launched a scathing attack on Kasukuwere — who Mugabe singled out for special praise at the nonagenarian’s belated birthday bash in Masvingo two weeks ago — for the deluge of expulsions that have characterised Zanu PF over the past two years.

Speaking at the same get-together, Mutsvangwa said bluntly that he had issues with people surrounding Mugabe, while also slating Zanu PF’s newly-found penchant for purging party members.

Comments (29)

just name the guy who is destroying the revolutionary party. he is jonathan. that has always been his desire to destroy the party from inside. name the guy cdes no need to bit around the bush.

taurai - 16 March 2016

Mujuru,Mutasa, Rugare etc....... all are ZANU as Matemadanda sees it so this project ZIMPF is a waste of time following .just join the ZANUPF or the MDC-T nothing else but the MDC-T tha better .........

peacemaker zano - 16 March 2016

Forget what is said, don't be fooled by these people claiming to be against Mugabe because Mujuru, Mnangagwa and even old fancy pants himself, Tsvangirai are all still very much under the control of CIO and merely playing tricks to try and confuse the nation into believing that they are real opposition genuinely opposed to Mugabe and Grace. You will hear them denounce Bob in so many different ways to try and fool you into thinking that they are real - nothing could be further from the truth and this is something I guarantee you. Let me assure you that if any of them were real opposition they would not be alive today - they would either be dead or in jail. How many more deaths do we have to witness to realize what is going on. No genuine opposition is tolerated in this country.

Perekeza Mbuya - 16 March 2016

My humble warning to the current grieved war veterans is that Mugabe is a ruthless, man who has no respect of person regardless of what you had done for him. Its on record that Gen Mujuru and Gen Tongogara both died from seemingly unfortunate circumstances accidents in general, but there is a little bird that sings Mugabe's name in all these deaths. Tongogara was opposed to mugabe taking over after assuming a catertaker roll pending elective congress. Mujuru died after alleging that the country can not suffer for the benefit of one family. So what Mugabe does, he does not go public talking about what he is agrieved with, he act, he kills. He send people to kill those that talk against him. So if the war veterans are clever like Hunzvi, he beseiged Mugabe at the heroes acre that did it and he announced the war veterans pension and other benefits. Stand up now and not be women, confront him at Borrowdale and he will listen, if you talk, he will come after all those talking one by one and silence by death. Death row, Mutsvangwa, Matemedanda, Mnangagwa, ZANU PF youth chairperson in provinces, Mutasa, Gumbo, Mujuru if the noise continue.

amina - 16 March 2016

I wonder why people like Matemadanda and other war veterans continue to fight for relevance in a party that no longer needs them. Are these guys devoid of reasoning? It's common knowledge that you cannot go against Mugabe and Grace and expect to live to see another day in Zanu PF. He now literally owns the party by virtue of being the one centre of power. Ichoooo!!!

Titus - 16 March 2016

hahahahah this coming from none other than war vets that ALL ANIMALS ARE EQUAL!! Strange how events unfold. Welcome to the party camarada Matemadanda. You were used like a condom and now you have been discarded into a dumpster by Mugabe. You killed and maimed your fellow country people for Robert the mafios, now you want to give us a useless lecture and yet you delayed by 16 years MDC taking out these idiots from power and restore our dignity...F%$#k you war vets. Tasete your own medicine bros.

gamuchirayi - 16 March 2016

Nonsense this moron sees Mujuru as victim of Mugabe when we know dating back even the father of this nation was a victim of Mugabe Nabaningi the same He even hired Jewish boy Ben Manashe an international con man using tax payers money to soil Morgan .s name and every one remembers well how zbc tv tried and failed showing round images saying it was Morgan plotting to kill Mugabe sic, When he failed he even tried to kill Morgan by sending thugs who beat him and left him for dead and up to today those thugs are still protected by zanu and Mutasa knows their identity and they were never arrested . Actually Mujuru is not a victim of zanu as she has never been arrested or beaten up . She is still enjoying the loot like staying at farms she took from white farmers and the 10 percent perks she got from the coporate world and will be never arrested for that bcoz she is a daughter of zanu .

Diibulaanyika - 16 March 2016

This nonsense must stop,that Mugabe can be succeeded by a WarVeteran or whatever,any Zimbabwean can rule this country if majority of Zimbabweans want him.Hapana akamanikidzwa kuenda kuHonde mhani,this was a voluntary exercise and everyone must know that.We don't want the so called War Vets a liability(zvikwekwe chaizvo) to us Zimbabweans.Go to the fields you were given and plough to feed the nation,only that!

Hapaz Hapanyengwi - 16 March 2016

@Hapaz Hapanyengwi kkkkkkkk you see Hapaz the only solution to our political mess is to have a civilian president who is going to be answerable to us the majority civilians not to a few former war volunteers only zwigandanga izwi hayi mani f kin thugs and clueless all sane people are pissed off by these former war volunteers whom we fed like puppies during war as we assisted and protected them from being killed by well oiled white soldiers only to brag today saying they liberated us demety

Diibulaanyika - 16 March 2016

CDE Matemadanda and company you shall continue to be used as long as you continue to be blinkered the way you guys are. You were used to beat, rape, and maim the Zimbabwean populace to save and guard the position of an individual. Now you were used to hunt and hurt your own who was thought to be a threat to an individual. Now you still fighting for an individual...Mutsvangwa Mutsvangwa the one who went on top of a mountain to undress your own whom you telling the world now was pushed out on manufactured lies. Mnangagwa celebrated the pushing out of one of his own, your own but now you are fighting in his corner. When them (your leaders) want you to gather and abuse you, they talk about cdes' children's school fees, your welfare not about the Zimbabwean situation; not about the plight of the widow or orphan or the unemployed. When will you re-focus back to Zimbabwe yamakafira? Makapusa shandisvai kusvika mapepuka.

Ronaldo - 16 March 2016

As long war vets and people within zanu pf think and sing this mugabe being "misled" by anyone, their problems will get even much more worse. mugabe is the problem to both zanu pf and country. It is his manipulative character that needs to be cleansed. They had a chance to support mavhaire during that famous year and they missed it. Stop endorsing a problem person and put three or more people to challange mugabe at an elective congress. Zanu pf will die a cheap natural death.

X-MAN IV - 16 March 2016

Please Matemadanda and Mutsvangwa, why are you so blind that you keeping saying Mugabe and Grace are being misled by people surrounding them or by opportunists. Is it not clear to you that the biggest problem in the country and zanupf is Mugabe and Grace. Please comrades be honest and confront the real problem.

Anywhere Anytime - 16 March 2016

Matemadanda futseki tibvirepo. Iwe na Joyce wako hamuna zvamakabatsira nazvo. All along u were looting and helping to kill zimbabwe and zimbabweans all in the name of the first family. Makapata makadyiswa madhodhi e first family. You no longer know what is wrong or right. Misoro dzenyu dzinongofunga first family nyangwe vanhu vachifa vachitambura. Mdc iri kuti no reforms no elections but come 2018 Joyce ne pple first yake vachabvuma ma elections pasina ma reforms nekuti first family inenge yati ngativhote zvakadaro. Fokofo mhani taneta kunzwa ne first family or patron yenyu iyoyi. Hamunyari seiko?

dembo - 16 March 2016

Mugabe is the key player. He manipulates people to suit his games. No one is misleading him . He does not listen to anyone . Matemadanda is wasting his time and energy Just get lost or accept the inevitable.

Be warned - 16 March 2016

Vana danda. You claim kuti nobody owns ZANU PF but you behave as if you own the state. Nhasi murikuti you don't want a cultist to take over from Bob but hamutauri kuti uye bob wacho is a cult leader whom you war vets created. You have created a personality cult in Zim and you need to live with it. You also realize that you just committed the cardinal sin (talking about succession and the fact that Mugabe will one day be a thing of the past). That is unforgivable in ZANU and you are definitely on your way out if you weren't already.

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chinambwe - 17 March 2016

he is right by asserting that we do not want to create another cult leader after mugabe yet mdc t is doing exactly the same thing. mdc t is now about morgan. he has become bigger than the party that is the reason he will not allow anyone else to take over from him. he is using all the tricks used by mugabe so he can stay put. i personally think that creating cultic leadership is a zimbabwean problem. we are all to blame for the phenomenon we find ourselves in. as long as we sing praises to these people mugabe and morgan, we will be making mistakes that will continue to hound us. ANYONE CAN LEAD THIS COUNTRY. IT DOESN'T HAVE TO BE ONLY SAVE FOR OPPOSITION. ANYONE CAN DO IT.

zvirozviyedzwa - 17 March 2016

@Zvirozviyedzwa wataura dama. mdc t does not have it's own unique tactics. it is unfortunate that they are emulating the ruler. zanu supporters are to blame also, they supported it and yet when they went home they had nothing to eat or wear but yet still sang its slogans. now nokuti iyo zanu pachayo yobvarurana vanhu vave kupepuka shuwa. anyway, everything happens for a reason, tichaona kuchasvika tsvimbo ne dohwe

chipo - 17 March 2016

Oh boy...!

SaManyika Chaiye - 17 March 2016

We have it on record your faction Leader saying "takazipirwa when Cde Stopit..." It was the most disgusting form of bootlicking by Mnangagwa praising the work of Grace to purge Mujuru.

Gushungowekugp - 17 March 2016

Zvirozvyedzwa is a fool now everyone can see the way he thinks from what he says and hoping from one political party to another .Pple tried to correct him but a fool is a fool he can not see reason

Dsve - 17 March 2016

The biggest problem we have in Zimbabwe is Mugabe, ZANU PF and a section of the War Veterans. Mugabe has behaved like a Chief Executive Officer of a private company called Zimbabwe with a sole share holding structure trading as ZANU PF. The war veterans are behaving like appointed directors to the ZANU PF trading company. Unfortunately Zimbabwean citizens are behaving like customers who have no choice but to trade with ZANU PF private limited. The media is just an marketing department of the company, that's why there is this stupid belief that only people with war credentials should rule Zimbabwe. One wonders what will happen when all the people with war credentials are gone and Zimbabwe is a complete ruin. People like Victor and Chris are just defending their paymasters, before it was Mugabe and now it's Mnangagwa and very soon it's going to be Mujuru. But all these people are no different because they have presided over the destruction of the Nation, no new ideas will come out of them. They are all stinking rich out of corruption they have been involved in for the past 36years. If Joice Mujuru is a product of this corrupt system l don't see her arresting the perpetrators instead she is going to protect them because "birds of the same feathers flock together ". My advice is that Zimbabweans should all stand up and claim their birth right.

A Maziwa - 17 March 2016

Its very good that the cows are coming back home to roost. Isalute the galant Expelled ZANU PF Youth League Chairpersons for publicly coming out of their cacoons and naming the real source of problems in ZANUPF. This is an unprecedented FIRST in the history of ZANU. Nobody had dared say this truth like they did. By accepting that they were being used/abused by RG himself and his wife especially in hounding out Joice from the Party for unsubstantiated charges... this was a rude awakaning for them. But the question is makanga musingazvioni kana kuziva kuti ndizvo zvakangazvichiitika here? I beg to differ with you..but i again salute your courage in coming out and telling the nation as it is. And now that the truth has come out and you have seem thjeir modus operandi, isnt it time for youto also call for a vote of no cnfidence in RG himself in the G40 style since the Constitution has been thrown to thje dogs? tHE War Vets should also follow suit with their vote of no confidence because whats the [point of continuing to have aPatrne who does not support you? He is clearly no longer fit to be your Patron but you still say he is being misled.. saka ari kukuitaiwo mislead and the rot goes on and own. Like somebody mentioned earlier, you are all toothless because you are scared to call a spade a spade.. you are under the influence of the cult... period saka nyararai musaite ruzha.

Mupambwa Iwe - 17 March 2016

We just want CHANGE, Zimbabweans are sick and tired of all this bullshitting (mahumbwe)....MDC-T and Morgan Tsvangirai come 2018. Anybody who has had something to do with Mugabe and ZanuPf should evaporate from the scene cz its either you're part and parcel with them or you're a coward who now wants proper freedom for all just because you've fallen out of favor with your former cult-ship. Makangofanana mese cz what you're seeing now has long been happening whilst you were still part of them. If only you could realize how much of reminder to the Mugabe's crippled regime and democracy you are to the rest of Zimbabwe, you would quickly shut your mouths and make sure you're not within the vicinity because once we have a change of the ruling party: You'll be definately hunted down. All the wrongs you did for the masses of Zimbabwe will never go unnoticed.......#WatchTheSpace

I do not know know why people fawn at Mugabe and worship him as iif he were some kind of god. Even his wife has become untouchable. I am sure people voted - if they did - for Mugabe, not for Grace, nor for Chatunga, Bona nor for Robert Junior either. But this is truly scandalous. Muri kunditaurira kuti hapana kana munhu one anokwanisa kuti Mugabe zvauri kuita zvanyanya here? I now doubt the credentials of those who say they fought for this country. If you created the Monster of a constitution that enslaves you to one person like we are witnessing now, then you are all IDIOTS!

duzvi - 20 March 2016

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